Hospital plug connection



Aug., m, w45. Y W, P. CRQCKET-r' 405335 HOSPITAL PLUG CONNECTION,

Fled'Jan. 24, 1944 "E /fl//AMI Patented Aug. 13, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOSPITAL `PLUG CONNECTION' Wi-lliam Crockett, Chicago, Ill., assignor to S. H.. Couch Company, Inc., North Quincy,` Mass.,v a. corporation of Massachusetts Application January 24, 1944,; SerialLNo. 519,523-r 4.C..lams. (Cl. 200e-51) Thisinventionhastodo with'l hospital plug. connectionsgof the type in which the signal.y or signals. controlled bythe push button on the cord leading to the patients bed are. automatically actu:-` ated. in. thel event the. plug. isinadvertently pulled from the connection..

The principal object of theinvention is. to. provide an improved hospital plug. connection ofthe type. described which issimplein design, inexpensive tofmanuiacture, dependable,inkoperatiom and easy to shutoi.

Othermorespecic objects and advantagesv of the invention will be apparent-.tothose skilled. in the art upon afull understanding ofthe construction andthe operation of the new. connection.

A preferred embodiment. of the invention is presented herein byway of'exempliiication, but it will; of; course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in other structurally modifiedv forms coming equally. within the scope of the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1y is a face View of a hospital plug connection constructed in accordance with ther invention; Y

Fig, 2. is a side View of the connection, showing theplug used with the same Fig. 3 is a vertical section throughthe connection., taken on the line 3,-3 of Fig; 1, showing it with the plug removed andthe several signal? controlling contacts shortcircuited;

Fig. 4 is.Y another vertical section through the connection, taken on the line 4-.4' of.' Fig. 3; and

Fig. is a section similar-to Fig. 4,V showing-the connection with the switch in the same manuallyy setto hold the several. circuits open.

The hospital plugy connectionV shown in the drawing includes aiace plate Ill-which is adapted to be attacl'iedY by screws II tothe wall of the patients room. The face plate lllcontains a. circularV aperture I2 in which a spanner plate I3 is positioned; The spanner plate I3 has a cylindrical portion t4 which projects forwardly through the apertureand a radial ange I5; which is welded orV otherwise secured to the back; of the face plate about the aperture; The; cylindricalporti-on Ill of thespanner plate is provided in the front ofthe same with a. plurality of openings IB' for' the reception. of a corresponding number of prongshaped contacts Il on a removablepliig I8. Ijhe plug I8 isattached to one end of a cord I9 andk av push button (not shown) is attached to the. other end of the cord. When the patient operates the push button several electrical Circuits. will be, simultaneously closed. Where four electrical circuits are provided for in the connection,`

one ordinarily lights a signal lamp 20 on the face plate, another lights a lamp over` the outside of the; door leading in to the room, another. lights a lamp at, the nurses central station and another sounds an annunciator.

Five openings I6 are employed in this particular connection, to enable fourI electrical circuits to be handled, but a lesser or greater number might instead be employed, depending onV the number off circuits desired. The ve openings It are arranged in a circle about,y the frontof the cylindricalfA portion I4, and are spaced apart one-sixth the distance about the circle, leaving a substantial gap, at. 25|; between the two uppermost openings.

tof insure the contacts; Il being inserted, in the correct openings. The cylindrical portion I4 contains a disk 22 of insulating material which is provided with. a plurality of; openings 2-.3 inregisterwithV the openings It. The openings 23 are ofw slightly smaller size than the openings I6 to the upstanding leg, of the bracketV iswelded or otherwisesecured tothe backV oi the flange I5 of the. spanner plate. The remaining grooves 25 form seats for the reception of ve` leaf spring contacts.v 28 which project forwardly` from the grooves into positions where they will bear resiliently against the outer sides of the contacts II when the plug I8 is in place. The rear ends of` the` contacts 28 are rigidly held within thegrooves 2.5; by screws 29 which also support connectors 30 for. the several electrical circuits.` One of the connectors 3G carries the current, whilel the other connectors lead tothe various signalling devices.

The block 24 is supported. at its center on a stud- 3I. The stud 3l isl provided in front of` the block 24 with an enlarged portion 32r and is: providedv injfront of such enlarged portion with a reduced portion 33, which reduced portion extends through the disk 22 and is riveted or otherwisesecured to the center ofthe cylindrical portion I4. of they spanner plate.. A disk 3.4 of insulating material is Xedly clampedv between the` enlarged portion 32 ofthe4 stud and thcdisk 2.2,

The bracket is secured within the groove by a screw 21, and

3 and a disk 35 of conducting material having an insert 35 of insulating material is xedly clamped between the front of the block 24 and the enlarged portion 32. The rear end 31 of the stud is threaded and is engaged by a nut 38 which secures the block 24 in place.

The periphery of the disk 35 vextends radially beyond the bottoms of the grooves 25 into a position wherein it will be engaged bythe leaf spring contacts 28 when the latter are allowed to spring inwardly upon the withdrawal of the contacts I'I on the plug I8. Such engagementwill short circuit the contacts 28, automatically energizing the circuits of the several signalling devices. ATo

or to open the circuits and keep themopen after'V it has happened, a disk 39 of insulating material is rotatably mounted on the enlarged portion 32 of the stud 3|, immediately in front of the shortV circuiting disk 35. The disk 39 is of smaller diameter than the disk 35 but is provided about its periphery with live radially projecting bosses 4U which are adapted to cam the five leaf spring -contacts 28 outwardly away from the disk 35 when lthe disk 39 is turned to bring the bosses 40 op- Ythe Screw 2l and extends through a slot 44 in the bracket 26 into engagement with one side 'of the ringer piece 4 I Y When the disk 39 is moved by the finger piece 4I to cause the bosses 40 to cam the contacts 28 away from theshort circuiting disk 35, the yielding resistance offered by the frictional engagement of the contacts 28 with the bosses 40 will hold the disk in that position, but as soon as the plug I8 is replaced the contacts I'I onlthe plug willcam the contacts 28 farther outwardly, relieving the pressure Aon the bosses 4U and allowing the disk 3S to return to its inoperative position under the action of the spring 43. Instead of using a spring for this purpose, a small weight 45V can beattached tothe front face of the disk 39 to accomplish the same result, or both the spring 43 and the weight 45 can be employed.v Y

It willbe understood from the foregoing that all of the circuits leading'from the connection will be automatically closed'in the event the plug is accidentally pulled from the connection, and

that the circuits can be opened again by movingy the finger piece 4I into its circuit opening position. When the plug is intentionally pulled, as when the bed isto be moved 0r the .wall of the room to be cleaned, closing of the circuits can be prevented by moving the linger piece into its circuit opening position and holding it momentarily in that position While pulling theplug: After the plug has been pulled the nger piece will be held frictionally in its circuit opening position until the plugY is again replaced, after which it Will re- Y turn automatically into its inoperative position.

Iclaim: Y l. In a hospital plug connection for use with Y a plug having a plurality of contactsa plurality of socket contacts for engagement with the con-v tacts on the plug, a stationary circuit closing element with which the contacts in the connection are adapted to move into engagement when disengaged by the contacts on the plug, whereby to automatically close the circuits leading from the connection when the plug is pulled, a movable circuit opening element which when moved manually into one position will force the contacts in the connection away from the circuit closing element,v means for moving lthe circuit opening element vinto said position, andV means controlled by and responsive to re-en'gagement of the plug and socket contacts for automatically returning the circuit opening element to its original inoperative position.

2. In a hospital plug connection for use with a plug having aV plurality of contacts, a plurality of socket contacts for engagement with the contacts on the plug, a stationary circuit closing element with which the contacts in the connection are adapted to move into engagement when disengaged by the contacts on the plug, whereby to automatically close the circuits leading from the connection when the plug is pulled, a movable circuit opening element which when moved manually into one position will force 'the contacts in the connection away from the circuit closing element, means for moving the circuit'opening element into ksaid position, said movable circuit opening element being radially accessible for operation and being movable when the contacts in the connectionA are engaged by the contacts on the plug, and means controlled by and responsive to reengagement of the plug and socket contacts for automatically returning the circuit opening element to its original inoperative position.

3. In a hospital plug connection for use with a plug having a pluralityv of contacts, a plurality of circularly -arranged socket contacts for engagement with the contacts on the plug, a stationary circuit closing element with which the contacts in the connectionare adapted to move radially into engagement when disengaged by the contacts on the plug, whereby to automatically close the circuits leading from the connection when the plugispulled, a rotatable circuit opening element i which when turned manually in one direction Awill force the contacts in the connection radially away from the circuit closing element, means for rotating the circuit opening element in said direction, and means controlled by and responsive to re-engagement of the plug and socketcontacts for automatically returning the circuit opening element to its'original inoperative position.

' 4. In a`hospital plug connection for use with a` plug having a plurality of contacts, a plurality of 'circular-ly arranged socket contacts for engagement with the contacts on the plug, a stationary circuit closing element with which the contacts in the connection are adapted to move radially into engagement when `disengaged by the contacts on theplug, whereby to automatically close the circuits leading from the Vconnection when the plugis pulled, a rotatable circuit opening element which when turned manually in one directionwill force the contacts in the connection radially away from the circuit closing element, means for rotating the circuit opening element in said direction, and means controlled by and responsive to re-engagement of the plug and socket contacts for automatically returning the circuit opening element to its original inoperative position, said last mentioned means consisting of a spring which will yield resiliently to permit the circuit opening member to be turned into its operativeposition.

WILLIAM P. CROCKETT. 

